Gary Gygax, Thanks for Everything!
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
March 4, 2008 5:28pm CST
Gary Gygax was only a household name in households where 1d20 roll across the tables. If you've never heard of the Fiend's Folio, you probably don't even know who I'm talking about.
One of the creators of the Dungeons & Dragons ran out of hit points without regeneration and a successful ressurection spell by a even a high level Cleric is doubtful (especially considering his low Constitution score).
Thank you Gary Gygax. Thank you for hours on end of exciting weekends and holidays in high school and down time in Deset Storm. Thank you for getting together with your friends and creating a new kind of game for me and my friends. Thank you for all the time spent with my own kids, introducing them to Fighters, Magic Users, Clerics; Orcs, Stone Dragons and Beholders.
It's not everyone who can say that they helped created an entirely new genre of games. Your creation showed us that a handful of dice, some paper and pencils can be used for more than getting a full house, small straight or even a Yahtzee.
When people asked me what Dungeons and Dragons is, I usually described it as "a bunch of friends getting together to create a world that exists entirely in the imaginations of the players".
That's what Dungeons and Dragons is, pure imagination brought to life just long enough to complete a campaign. PC and television based platform RPGs are fun and all, but to me, RPGs will always be at their best when played on a table with paper, pencils, and a Dungeon Master rolling dice behind colorful, table ridden screens.
1 response
@familycaregiver (58)
• United States
20 May 08
Very well said! Most of my best memories from my childhood and teen years involve multi-sided dice, 25mm lead figures with flaking paint and scribbled maps on graph paper.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
20 May 08
Thanks for reviving this post. Gary Gygax accomplished something few people ever will... he brought his creation from imagination to reality for generations.